Armando G. Tejeda

Correspondent

The newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday, July 31, 2024, p. 28

Madrid. The Spanish Prime Minister, the socialist Pedro Sánchez, decided to exercise his right not to testify and not answer the questions of the investigating judge of the case, Juan Carlos Peinado, of the prosecution or the private accusations in his appearance as a witness and husband of Begoña Gómez, in the case opened against her for the alleged crimes of influence peddling and corruption in business.

Minutes after his historic appearance, the Spanish president decided to file a complaint for malfeasance against Judge Peinado and did so through the State Attorney’s Office.

The judge decided to take Sánchez’s statement at La Moncloa palace, the official residence of the prime minister, making him the first Spanish president in office to be subjected to such a statement, in his case as a result of a judicial and police investigation opened against his wife following a complaint filed by the far-right union Manos Limpias.

Sánchez first tried to respond in writing, appealing to his public position, but when that condition was rejected, the questioning took place in his office, and lasted only a few minutes due to Sánchez’s refusal to answer the questions, as allowed by law so as not to affect the interests of his spouse or family member.

Judge in question

Vox’s lawyer and legal representative, Marta Castro, who was present during the interrogation, said that Sánchez avoided answering any questions, not just those directly related to his wife. Mr. Sánchez has invoked his right not to testify. In our opinion, this right would apply to him in the case of his spouse, but in no case in relation to the other two defendants, who are the rector of the Complutense University and the businessman Carlos Barrabés..

After the appearance, the State Attorney’s Office filed a complaint for prevarication against Judge Peinado, representing Sánchez, which if successful could mean the end of the professional career of the magistrate, whom the majority of members of the government have accused of instructing a process with Political purposes and baseless.